Subtraction is taught at the school level in grade 2, sometimes it
is introduced in grade 1 but really when you think about it, kids
are learning subtraction at a much earlier age and just do not know
the formal title for it. Even before a child starts school they can
be taught valuable subtraction lessons in various ways. Let's say
that you are going to the store and you give your child $5 to buy
whatever he/she wants, although the outcomes can and usually will
vary, they are learning subtraction at its most basic level. Outcome
#1: the child selects something that exceeds the $5 so that leaves
a few options, they don't have enough money and have to make a new
selection, or you loan them the difference which will be subtracted
from their next allowance of money, or they will have to know what
the difference is that they are short and save for it. In any event,
the child will be learning about subtraction this way. The same technique
can be used with the ice cream truck.
Children often have a difficult time with subtraction, especially
if it is introduced in a dull and boring manner. Unfortunately, in
the past one of the best ways to teach subtraction to children has
been through rewarding them with food, namely candy. Let's face it,
you can not usually lure a child to learn with carrots and celery
but with today's health conscious society the candy games are not
as abundant as they have been in the past, but they do work. Using
an actual item, like food, helps a lot of kids because you actually
get to see the math that you are doing. You can even use your food
to help you solve your math homework problems. Nothing works better
than Skittles or jelly beans to teach a child how to subtract numbers.
Crayons, pencils, and paperclips are good alternatives because they
are easy to move and around and you can use them for math without
having to waste them. Each item can be added together or separated
apart to help you see the math you are doing. Games are another great
way to learn subtraction. There are many games that involve math concepts.
These include cards, dominoes, checkers, chess, and Yahtzee. Take
a second to think about the skills that are needed to play these games.
There are also math games on the computer and the Internet that will
help you understand math skills. Before kids can master the basics
of subtraction, they need to understand the nature of adding and taking
away. Subtraction tends to be a concept that is especially difficult
to comprehend.
Teachers should challenge their students to think creatively about
numbers from the beginning so that confusion does not set in; once
it does it can be difficult to reverse. Teachers usually don't encourage
children to count on their fingers but almost as a second nature it
seems as if children are just prone to do so. Instead they usually
have the kids use a series of parallel lines. Once a child starts
to grasp the concept of subtraction then they need to gain fluency.
Teachers who make learning math something that is fun rather than
dreaded are really doing the child justice for later on in life. Many
times when left with a sour taste in their mouth at an early age about
math, that will carry through with a child into adulthood. Pairing
children together is a great way to motivate them to learn math. It
is very important that educators understand that math concepts will
be more easily understood when they are built on a solid understanding
of the basics first.